Rin was moving fast, her heels clicking against the pavement as she made her way toward the location Archer had given her. She was close—she could feel the lingering presence of strong mana. Shirō's here. She had to hurry. If Caster got her claws into Shirō any longer, things would get—
She skidded to a stop.
Because there, standing at the entrance like he had any right to be there, was—
Shinji.
Rin's fingers tightened around her crystals, her red-painted nails digging into her palm.
Him.
The miserable excuse of a Magus. The pathetic brat who had lost Rider at Caster's hands.
What the hell was he doing here?
Shinji grinned like he had the upper hand. "Well, well, if it isn't Rin Tohsaka."
She ignored him and took a step forward.
"Move aside, Matou."
Shinji's grin widened. "Now, now, no need to be so hasty. I have an offer for you."
Rin paused.
She already knew it was going to be something disgusting.
"Submit to me, Tohsaka."
...What?
Her eyes twitched. "Excuse me?"
Shinji sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "You heard me. If you beg well enough, I might just grant you mercy. In fact—" His eyes darkened with something gross. "I might even treat you well."
Rin stared.
And then—
She snorted.
She actually laughed.
"Shinji," she said, voice dripping with mockery, "you do realize you're talking to the Rin Tohsaka, right?"
Shinji's eye twitched. "Tch. You bitch—"
"Move aside." Her voice turned cold. "Otherwise, I won't hold back."
Shinji sneered. "Oh, so you think you can defeat me?"
Rin raised an eyebrow. "Of course I can. You know no magecraft. You have no Servant. What exactly do you think you can do?"
That should have been the end of it.
But then—
Shinji laughed.
Loud. Ugly.
Like a cartoon villain.
"Me? Servantless?" He spread his arms like some clownish king. "Oh, what a grave misunderstanding you're in, Rin-chan!"
What?
Before she could even process that, Shinji yelled—
"GILGAMESH! ATTACK HER!"
…
Silence.
The wind blew. A lonely paper cup rolled across the ground.
Nothing.
Shinji froze. "G-Gilgamesh!"
Rin sighed.
Of course.
Of course, she had let herself be stupid enough to think this walking garbage pile had managed to summon another Servant.
She wasn't sure who was more pathetic— the fact that he actually thought he could order around the legendary Gilgamesh, or that he was dumb enough to think she'd even be scared.
She appeared in front of him in a blink.
And then—
CRACK.
Her heel met his ribs.
Shinji flew.
A solid, painful impact as he slammed into the nearest concrete wall.
The dust settled.
Rin adjusted her gloves. "Stay down for your own good."
Shinji let out a weak groan.
Pathetic.
She didn't spare him another glance as she stepped over his miserable form and walked forward, completely missing the way a certain golden-haired king was watching the entire scene with pure amusement.